SWIM THE WORLD TIBURON, CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH
Every year in September a raſt of elite swimmers travel to a small town in northern California, where a single-mile swim determines who will take home a $10,000 (£6,135) prize. Graeme Green went to fi nd out more…
The historic Northwestern Pacifi c Railroad in California used to come to a stop in the town of Tiburon, just north
of San Francisco, which is now a quiet collection of well-preserved Gold-Rush-era streets, shops and lumber yards. With the town’s name taken from the Spanish word for shark (tiburón), most likely due to the number of leopard sharks found around the Tiburon Peninsula, it might not sound like a top destination for people who like to get in the water. But each year any remaining sharks in the area are outnumbered by another population of migratory marine creatures: the competitive swimmer. Now, the town of Tiburon is far more famous as the home of the annual RCP Tiburon Mile Open Water Swim than for freight tracks, especially among aqua enthusiasts,. The open water swim, held here every September, is one of the world’s most competitive, exciting and prestigious, challenging athletes to race for one nautical mile across San Francisco Bay, from Angel Island to the shores of downtown Tiburon. The event was created in 1999 by Bob Placak and this year returns
for its 12th outing on 18 September. “My goal with the RCP Tiburon Mile is to create an event environment that is unforget able, an experience that the athlete and spectator want to repeat year aſt er year,” says Placak. “It’s a chance to truly bond socially with competitors in a beautiful relaxed set ing knowing that on race day they will have the best competition in the world, from both the pool and open water world.”
NEED TO KNOW
○ Where: Tiburon, north California ○ What: A one-mile race with $10,000 grand prize ○ When: Annually in September ○ Who: Ruthless elites from all over the world, plus others for the fun of the challenge
○ How: see
rcptiburonmile.com for more info A top winner-takes-all prize of $10,000 (£6,135) means the RCP
Tiburon Mile is certainly competitive. Olympic and World Champion swimmers from USA, Russia, Australia, Germany, Brazil, South Africa and Mexico come to slug it out in the water each year with national and regional pool and open water swimmers, in various diff erent categories, including elite, age group and wetsuit. But for Placak it was important to create an event that went beyond just the competition, starting with the location. “The small town set ing of Tiburon, with the backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge and the skyline of San Francisco in the distance, is truly a world class vision for spectators and the best swimmers in the world,” he says. The RCP Tiburon Mile is also known among swimmers for what happens out of the water, including pre-race talks, a close-knit social meeting of swimmers and a post-race banquet. “As a swimmer myself, having competed in events around the world, I try to take the best elements of all the races I participated in,” says Placak. “And I am constantly trying to improve it.” The swim has a wide support base and, in its 12 years, has raised over $1.2 million (£735,000) for charity, helping to fund open water participation in the Special Olympics. All these aspects helped persuade Steven Munatones, founder of Open Water Source, to include the RCP Tiburon Mile in his top 100 open water swims. Alongside the set ing, the world-class competition and the charity fundraising, there are several features that make it special, as Munatones explains: “Its post-race ceremonies are wonderful – a marvellous banquet and music overlooking San
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